Singapore’s Sunseap Group has completed a 5 MW offshore floating solar PV system (OFPV) in the Straits of Johor calling it one of the world’s largest floating solar farms on sea water. It can help Singapore offset an estimated 4,258 tons of CO2, bringing the country ‘closer to decarbonization’.

This marks the company’s official foray into the offshore floating PV space that also happens to be the country’s 1^st in the space.

The facility is equipped with 13,312 solar panels, 40 inverters and more than 30,000 floats that are expected to generate 6,022,500 kWh of clean power annually. According to Sunseap the Woodlands project has electrical panels, control system and a 22kV transformer.

Sunseap says the OFPV is designed with a robust constant tension mooring system that’s able to withstand changing weather conditions, and has an air conditioned second deck that doubles up as a visitor centre and viewing gallery.

Completed within a year’s time, including delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is hoped to lead to more OFPV projects in the region that has a short supply of land. The project is located near the North of Woodlands Waterfront Park. Back in November 2018 when it was first announced, the project was termed as the world’s 1^st and largest sea water floating PV system (see 5 MW Offshore Floating PV Project In SE Asia).

“This is an important milestone for Sunseap as we believe that offshore space like the sea, reservoirs, lakes etc., offers exciting opportunities for land-scarce and densely populated cities to tap solar energy. They are places that are unobscured from the sun and with low risks of vandalism or theft,” said Sunseap Co-Founder and CEO Frank Phuan.

Royal Dutch Shell backed Sunseap recently raised equity investment from Dubai based business conglomerate Dutco as part of its Series E funding which it plans to deploy for its future solar projects in Singapore and the region.